Electro-magnetic device for winding clocks



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shed l. W. F. SWEET.

ELEGTRO MAGNETIC DEVICE FOR WINDING CLOCKS. No. 334,822.

3) N NNNNNN (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. F. SWEET.

ELEGTRO MAGNETIC DEVICE FOR WINDING CLOCKS. N0. 334,822. Patented Jan.26, 1886.

i a I I I: I I Illlllm IIIWIIWIIIWII N, PETERSv Phnto-Liihugnpher. Walhinnnnnnn C.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shet 3.

W. F. SWEET.

ELECTED MAGNETIC DEVICE FOR WINDING CLOCKS. No. 334,822. Patented Jan.26, 1886.

I g t I 7777572651968. 5 five/2%). \mmflwsmm l n a 1 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

IVELCOME F. S\VEET, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO HIM- SELF,AND MICHAEL SULLIVAN, JOHN SAGE, AND STEPHEN SIVEET, JR,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELFLCTRO-MAGNETlC DEVICE FOR WlNDlNG CLOCKS.

a-I- ECIEECATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 334,822, datedJanuary 26, 1886.

Application filed June 30, 1885. Serial No. 170,302.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WELCOME F. SWEET, residing at Grand Rapids, in thecounty of Kent and State of Michigan, and a citizen of the UnitedStates, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric Clocks,of which the following is a full description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation; Fig. 2, adetail, being a'section of the parts represented, taken at line a; ofFig. 1; Fig, 3, a detail; Fig. 4, a front elevation of the clock-work,the front part of the frame being removed, the 1 magnet also beingshown; Fig. 5, a side elevation of the clock-work, also showing themagnet; Fig. 6, a section of the parts represented; Fig. 7, a sideelevation oftheparts shown; Fig. 8, a detaihbeing a side view of thebarrel which contains the spring,and the ratchet-wheel connected withthe barrel; Fig. 9, a side view ofthe wheel represented; Figs. 10 and11, details, and Fig. 12, a front elevation of the parts rep resented,which are those shown in section in 2 Fig. 6, with the addition ofcertain pawls. Fig. 13 is a detail. Some of the figures are enlarged.

The leading objects of my invention are to provide devices by which aweight arranged to act on the train of a clock can be gradually wound bythe action of a magnet, and at the I same time provide amaintaining-power acting on the train while the weight is being lifted,and to provide devices for automatic- 5 ally opening the circuit whenthe weight has been fully wound or reaches a certain height, and holdingthe circuit open until the descending weight reaches or comes near toits lowest point, and then automatically re- 0 leasing the devices whichhold the circuit open, which objects I accomplish as illustrated in thedrawings. Those things which I suppose to be new will be set forth inthe claims.

In the drawings, A represents the frame of a clock.

B is a shaft which carries the hands.

0 is a winding drum or sleeve on the shaft B.

D is a ratchel-wheel permanently secured to or made with the windingdrum or sleeve 0.

(No model.)

a is a second collar on the shaft A.

E is a ratchet-wheel upon the collar a, but not fast thereon.

b is a barrel on the ratchetwheel E.

F is a gear-wheel, being what is usually called the third wheel in theclock-movement.

0 is a spring in the barrel 1), one end of which spring is secured at dto the ratchetwheel E, and the other end is secured at e to the wheel F.

f is a pawl which engages with the ratchetwheel D, this pawl beingsupported on a pin secured to the ratchetwheel E.

g is a second pawl, which also engages with the ratchetwheel D, whichpawl is supported on a pin, it, secured to the wheel F. This pin 72, asshown, passes through an opening in the wheel E, and as this wheel E hasonly a limited movement in either direction the pin does not interferetherewith.

G is a pinion on a shaft, II,with which pinion F engages.

I is a gear-wheel on the shaft II, which en gages with a pinion, J, 011the shaft K, which carries the escape-wheel L.

M represents the pallets.

t is the hour-wheel, and j the minute-wheel.

N is a spring acting on the wheel F.

O is a magnet.

k is an armature which, as shown, is secured to a plate, Z, which plateis rigidly connected with a shaft, m.

a is an arm rigidly secured to the shaft m, which arm carries two pawls,0 p, which engage with the ratchet-wheel E.

l? is a post or rod, the ends of which are suitably secured in anysuitable place. The lower end, q, of this red or post is smaller thanthe remaining portion, and, as shown, it 0 rests in a support, 1'.

s is a loose collar on the part q of the rod, having a flange, m, at itsupper end.

t is a coiled spring located between the collar s and a pin in the partq.

a is a strap, the upper end of which is con nected with the collar 8,and the lower end is provided with a slot, 2;.

Q, is a plate, of rubber or other non-conduct ing material.

10 are metalplates secured to Q.

a is a circuit-breaker pivoted at one end to the plate w, and at theother end it is provided with a pin which enters the slot 22 in a.

b is a pin at the lower side of the plate c is a hook pivoted at itsupper end to the plate Q and arranged to engage with the circuit-breakera.

' d is an arm pivoted at its upper end to the plate Q, and its lower endis arranged to engage with the flange on the collars when such collar ispushed down below the lower end of such arm. The hook c and the arm (1are held against stops by springs.

e is a cord, one end of which is connected with the arm (1, and theother end is secured to a hook,f, which hook has a little verticalmovement in a suitable socket.

R is a weight through which the rod or post P passes. As shown, thelower end of the weight has an extension, arranged to engage with theflange upon the upper end of the collar 8. i

h is a pin in'the extension g, arranged to engage with the inside of theshank of the hook c. S is a winding-cord, one end of which is connectedwith the weight R, and the other end is secured to the loose sleeve orwindingdrnm 0011 the shaft 13.

T is a rubber or other non-conducting plate 1 secured to theclock-frame.

3 below the lower end of the arm, when such z" is a piece of metalsecured to the plate T, and j is another piece secured to the same plateT.

is a piece upon the end of the shaft K, which passes through the frame,this piece being arranged, as the escape-wheel rotates, to come incontact with and raise the free end of i.

Z is a spring arranged to act upon the circuit-breaker a and force itdown upon the pin 7), in case its gravity is not sufficient for thatpurpose.

The operation is as follows: Suppose the parts to be in the positionshown in Fig. 1, the circuit-breaker a being lifted away from the pin12, and the circuit being thus opened. When the weight descends a littlefarther, the part 9' will come in contact with the flange m upon thecollar 5-, forcing it and the bar a down a little and compressing thespring 16, and at the same time the pin h, coming in contact with thelatch or hook a, will force it back, releasing a, which will drop bygravity, or be .forced down by the action of the spring Z" upon the pin1), thus closing the circuit at this point. At the same time the flangeupon the collar 8 in its downward passage comes in contact with theinside of the arm (1, forcing it back a little until the flange passesarm will be returned to its normal position by the spring behind it, thelower end of such arm then being over the flange m upon the collar 8,and preventing the collar from being forced up by the action of thespring 25. So long as these parts remain in the position just describedthe circuit will remain closed, because awill remain in contact with b.

The electric circuit from one pole of battery or is by the wire a plateto, arm a, plate to, and wire a to the electro-magnet 0; then by thesecond branch of the wire a to the circuitclosersj 6, controlled bytheescapement; and,

finally, by the third branch of the wire a to the other pole of thebattery, as is clearly shown in Fig. l.

The clock being in motion, the part k will close the circuit twice withevery revolution of the escape-wheel L by bringing in contact with j.Every time the circuit is thus closed the armature 70 will be drawn tothe magnet, which will cause the shaft m to rock a little, and throughthe arm a, which is secured to such shaft m, one of the pawls 0 10 willact upon the ratchet-wheel E, moving it a little, which movement willslightly increase the tension of the spring 0. As often as the circuitis broken by the return of z" to its normal position the pawls 0 10 willbe returned to their former position, ready to engage again with theratchet-wheel E when the circuit is again closed, and by repeatedmovements of these pawls the tension of the springcwill be graduallyincreased. This spring is connected at one end to the wheel F, which isa part of the train, and at its other end to the ratchetwheel E, so thatthe tension of the spring in one direction will be acting on the wheel Fto move it, and through it the train, while the other end is exertingits force on the ratchetwheel E. With each movement of this wheel E, bythe action of one of the pawls 010, the ratchet f will ride over theteeth of D. When sufficient power has been accumulated in the spring ato overcome the gravity of the weight R, in addition to that required torun the clock, then whenever the pawls o p are released the spring 0will, through the pawl f, which is pivoted to the wheel E, act upon theratchet-wheel D, moving it a little, and thus winding the cord S alittle upon the sleeve 0 and raising the weight R a trifle; and thisaction of the spring 0 to raise the weight, as described, will berepeated as often as the tension thereof is sufficient. At the same timethe spring 0 constantly acts upon the wheel F to keep the train inmotion, so that the spring not only raises the weight, but serves thepurpose of a maintaining-power to run the train while the weight isbeing raised, one end of the spring acting to raise the weight and theother end acting on the train.

The pawl g is a retaining-pawl, and connects the wheel F with theratchet-wheel D, so that the weight acts upon the train when free so todo.

When the weight R nearly reaches the limit of its upward movement, itwill come in contact with the hook f, raising it a trifle, and throughthe cord 6 the latch or arm d will be drawn back away from the flange mon the collar 8. Then by the action of the springt the collar will rise,and through the strap a the circuit-breaker will be lifted and thecircuit will be broken at this point, so that the battery will no longeract upon the magnet, and then the weight will operate upon theclockmovement until it again descends and closes the circuit, as beforedescribed, after which the operation before described will be repeated.While the weight is descending the spring 0 will not operate upon thetrain.

The wheel F has sixty teeth. The wheel E, as shown, has fifty-four, butmay have some other number.

As shown, the circuit closes twice a minute, and hence the weight willbe wound considerably faster than it runs down. The circuit maybe'lcloscdgoftener, if desired.

I use two pawls, 0 1), one of which is a little longer thanthejjotherlto insure action on the wheel E.

The length of the rod D depends upon the distance the weight is to move.As the parts are'lmost likely to be arranged, it will take a number ofhours to wind the weightsay about twenty-and when fully wound and thecircuit is broken at a, as described, the weight will run the clockuntil it again closes the circuit a, which will probably be about sixtyhours, and while the weight is running the train thebattery will not bein action. \Vhile the weight is not acting on the train the spring 0acts as a maintaining-power. There is to be some tension on the spring 0when the parts are first placed in position.

The spring c,operated by a magnet,might be used for running the clockall the time without any weight, in which case the ratchetwheel D andpawl 9 would not be required, and a pawl should be arranged upon theframe to engage with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel E to act as aretaining-pawl. In this case the battery will always be in action andthe spring will be constantly wound substantially in the manner beforedescribed. In Fig. 13 I have shown how the last-mentioned pawl may bearranged, 1) being the pawl.

The rod or post P serves the purpose of a guide for the weight. In Fig.l I have indicated a battery and connecting-wires.

I do not limit myself to the exact devices shown and described forclosing and opening the circuit by the action of the weight, as variousmodifications can be readily adopted by any one skilled in the art.

Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a ratchet-wheel, E, a wheel, F, a spring, a,collar 0, ratchet-wheel D, and a weight, R, substantially as and forpurposes specified.

2. The combination, with a time-train, of a weight, a spring adapted towind the weight and at the same time act on the train as amaintaining-power, and devices for winding the spring through a batteryand magnet, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. In combination with a time train, a weight, R, a battery, magnet,andconnectingwires, devices for winding the weight actuated -by saidmagnet, and devices for closing and opening the circuit by the action ofthe weight, substantially as herein set forth.

4. The combination of a battery, a magnet, and connecting-wires, aweight, a spring for winding the weight and at the same time acting onthe train as a maintaining-power, a circuit-breaker operated by theclock, and devices for closing and opening the circuit by the action ofthe weight, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

XVELCOME F. S\VEET.

XVitnesses:

E. A. WEsT, ALBERT H. ADAMs.

